Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Taste - very tasty hint of plums unfortunately a bit overshadowed by the brett. I like brett but the strength of this beer I think is in the fruit so it would have been nice if this came out a bit more more. A bit more boozy flavor than many sours at 6.2%.

the italian wild ales have been really growing on me, and this plum wild ale is one of the more unique ones ive had. its lavender purple in color, hazed and sedimented, but with a pretty solid inch of white airy head. the nose is so floral, its got hints of vanilla and jasmine too, almost like the bath and body works store, where powerful scents muddle and give you a headache. this is not quite so overblown, but its a similar vibe. not sure plums have much nose to them, so while i smell sweet fruit, plums doesnt really show up. the flavor is so different than the nose. gone are the perfumes and confused fragrances. in their place is a layered brew, with obvious plum and red grape flavors up front, and a tartness that stops short of being sour in the finish. lots of oak, this is almost like a dessert wine, like a candy or a juice, its sweet and the fruit profile is really cool, but it turns funky and bretty and dry and puckery on the back end, a very cool finish to a one of a kind beer. carbonation is right on, and the body is creamy, uncommon in a wild ale. this is so different i can see it not being liked, but i was just in love with it. loverbeer has been totally hit or miss for me, and this is their greatest triumph that i have tasted. worth the steep price they ask for this, its a must try. (1,315 characters)

Pours a somewhat murky reddish color with minimal head. Nose is of candied cherries, some funky Brett, a touch of acid, and some bright plum notes. Taste is mildly tart up front and gives way to candied fruits. Heavy Brett notes on the finish. Mouthfeel is moderate with medium carbonation. Overall, pretty nice but not sour enough considering the lactobacillus used. (367 characters)

Poured a pinkish dark red type of body with minimal fizzy pink head. A mix of sour or tart fruit, some minor grapefruit like sweetness and a touch of oakiness in the nose. A good tasting beer (that I did grow tired of awhile, mind you) that is simple but well-executed. Sour/tart fruit flavors for a good sipping sour type ale that aren't overpowering and has a crisp but not biting backbite/finish and has enough sweetness in the beer to keep it balanced. (456 characters)

A hazy amber color with a small off-white head. Smells a touch metallic with some sweet sugar, caramel, and fruits. There’s a bit of a perfume aroma to it, maybe some oak, and a touch of vinegar. The flavor exhibits more metal character than the nose, which is unpleasant. Some sweet fruit and sugar notes, a tannic wood quality, and a light tartness. There are some decent flavors/aromas, but the metal is very off-putting. (426 characters)

With the success of the sour ales of Belgium and northern France, Italy now gets their hands in the action with carefree attitudes in recipe formulation yet steadfastness in technique and control.

The BeerBrugna pours with a rusty prunish mauve color that only allows ruby light around the edges of the glass. A turbulent pour yields an efforted foam generation of loose and creamy head character. Reducing to a necklace around the rim, the beer's demeanor is more similar to authentic lambics rather than gueuze or re-sweetened fruited lambics.

Candied grape, wine must, and old earthen oak come together for a richly complex aroma. Background notes of cider and balsamic further reinforce fruit tartness as only a sweeter confectioner's sugar scent provides any malt support. Delicate and varying, the notes of plumb and Kool Aid come to mind as the beer warms.

The candyish character is washed aside as the fruity tartness of grape, plumb, apple, fig, and raisin introduce fermented vinous flavors to start the session. The timid underpinnings of powdered sugar gives a slight cotton candy taste, but is quickly dwarfed by the immense tartness that bridges on sour taste. Mild sea brine, weathered oak, light leather and a hint of fresh cut tobacco weave in extra complexities as the palate acclimates to the supple sourness.

Lightly astringent with the almost-bitter texture of plumb skin and pits offer a balance to the beer in the absence of noticable hops. Otherwise medium-light on the palate despite the low-lying carbonation pulling the beer closer to the tongue, the low pH of the beer offers the cutting power to quench the thirst and dry the palate in a pleasantly acidic way.

Although the majority of the session gives impressions of sour grapes, but with something else richer and more juicy. It's not until the aftertaste that the taste of plumbs are readily noticed. Outside of the fruit, the beer has a slightly timid approach to the sour ale underneath. Pushing further would allow for drier acidity and sharper sourness with richer earth components to abound. (2,084 characters)

Thanks, Jason. Hazy grapefruit color in the glass, low carbonation topped by a thin fleeting head. Very fruity, plummy nose; plenty both of skin and flesh. Some mineral and oak barrel, too, along with gentle tartness. The palate has a big fruit presence, though there's no sweetness; it's dry, mildly tart and earthy. The plum skin and oak lend a moderate but pleasing tannic bite, which doesn't linger long into the finish. Mildly vinous, tart, jammy aftertaste. Nice stuff, not exactly world-class but very enjoyable. (519 characters)

Poured with a nice, tight, small, off white head that quickly subsided and no lace. Color is a hazy/cloudy honey amber. Aroma is a divine with the sour, plums, malt with the plumbs and sour way at the top and very aromatic, like a cologne. Flavor's similar to nose without the lofty components. Body and carbonation are perfect for style. Finish is like flavor, clean, balanced, and of good length. (398 characters)